Dustin Poirier still remembers the telephone conversation he had with the Louisiana gym owner who regularly hosted mixed martial artists for training.

Poirier was then a 17-year-old from Lafayette, La., who had moved out on his own to get away from the cycle of living with one parent, getting in trouble, then moving in with the other. He was taking on more responsibility in life, and he was getting out of the rhythm of spending time with a rougher crowd.

A longtime athlete, Poirier had moved from sport to sport but had left high school early. He still wanted competition, so he went looking for it.